


The gift

by this_is_everything



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Character Death, Dorks in Love, Grief/Mourning, Heartbreak, Love, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21645934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_everything/pseuds/this_is_everything
Summary: Archie finds a mysterious cd in the attic and finds out something he wouldn't have guessed in 100 years.Past Fred x Fp relationshipSet after Fred's death.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Fred Andrews, Fred Andrews/FP Jones II
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	The gift

‘For Fp’

Archie finds it while he’s decluttering the attic. A small cd in a thin plastic case, grey from dust. The little sticky note is worn, the flashy yellow has faded but Fred Andrews bolt handwriting is still clear as day as if it had been written minutes and not years ago.

‘For Fp’

That’s it, nothing else. It looks more like a reminder than an actual note.

The cd rests between Archie’s hands and he just stares at it for a moment. It reminds him of the notes his father would put in his lunchbox every day, day in day out and Archie feels a pang of sorrow blooming in his chest. He misses his dad with every breath he takes. He gets up and climbs down to his room, pops the cd into his laptop.

It’s not an actual cd with songs on like Archie initially thought, but a video. He klicks on the play button and settles back to watch, uneasiness pooling in his stomach.

The camerawork is shaky, there’s laughing in the background while it focusses.

There’s Fp, years younger, in a pitbull jacket, his hair long and no beard in sight. He smiles, then laughs. “What is this about Freddie?”

Now there’s movement behind the camera and then Fred Andrews steps into view and Archie chokes on his breath. His dad is young, face still free of wrinkles that came with worrying about phone bills, hospital bills, bills in general. Instead his face is shining, sunkissed and with dark locks spilling all over. He walks over and sits down next to Fp on the couch, pulls a piece of paper out of his backpocket.

“Soooo, What inspires you in life?”, he asks.

Fp puffs. “What are you doing? Some kind of Interview or what?”

“Just answer the damn question Fp.” Fred laughs.

Now they’re staring at each other, long and intently, Fp’s brows are brought together, Fred smiles a dashing grin. Fp sights and settles back

“What inspires me, you say? I don’t know, I don’t know if anything really does.”

They’re silent for a while.

“Ok-ay...then, who is the most important person in your life right now?” Fred hasn’t glanced at the paper, is just looking at Fp. The other boy’s head snaps up instantly, meets Fred gaze.

“You.”, he says without missing a beat and there’s so much love in Fp’s voice it brings tears to Archie’s eyes.

Fred’s smile is huge as he throws the paper away and crawls towards Fp who is backing away but there’s not much room for moving on the couch and so Fred ends up in his lap, wrapping his arms around Fp’s neck and - Archie clicks on pause and leans back as if to bring distance between him and this new truth. His father and Fp... he swallows hard.

Then he reaches forward and clicks again.

Fred leans forward and kisses Fp. It’s hot and fullmouthed and nothing Archie ever wanted to see. Fp’s hands sneak around his waist, pulling him closer before he tips them over.

Fp lands hard on Fred and Archie’s father laughs wholeheartedly, his hands still around Fp’s neck, his head thrown back, their limbs tangled.

“You big sap.”, he laughs and shrieks as Fp starts tickling him. Fred is moving again- and the screen goes black.

Archie sits, the bar at the bottom of his screen shows him that the video is not finished.

There’s a rustling noice, then the camera is lifted. Fred’s face is illuminated by a small lamp, the warm shimmer complementing his content smile. He shifts the camera slightly downwards. There’s Fp, his face plastered against Fred’s chest, out like a light. Archie hears Fred chuckle softly then his father leans into the shot, nuzzles his face into Fp’s locks.

“I love you.”, he whispers. “God I love you Fp. So much I think I might die from it.”

The screen goes black again.

And Archie doesn’t think he can take more of this. Of this softness in Fred’s voice he has never heard before, of his father’s young face staring back at him all happy and alive.

He wipes the tears form the corner of his eyes. Before he can stop the video the screen lights up again.

This is a far older version of Fred. He already has the wrinkles, looks so similar to what Archie remembers him like.

He sits on a chair in a kitchen, in THEIR kitchen Archie recognizes.

“I found this a while ago and.. I don’t know, it’s like it all came back to me in one big rush. That last high school year and I feel like I should say something.”

There’s a long pause where Fred just plays with his fingers.

“I...I did love you Fp, never doubt that for a second. I loved you then and... I love you now. I think..I could never really stop loving you. And I know we’ve done some bad things to each other... ,ore like I did bad things to you and there’s no excuse for that...There’s no forgiveness, I know, and I wouldn7t dare asking for it.”

Fred’s breathing is shaky.

“I don’t even know if I will have the balls to give you this.

I guess what I want to say is that I am thankful for these memories we made and I am so glad to have had the luck to be loved by you and as you like to say.. ‘It was a wild ride.’

I - I don’t want you to hate me anymore, for betraying that love...I want to heal us and - oh I don’t know - maybe be something.

...God this is stupid”

Fred reaches for the camera and Archie wants to scream. A bit more, one more sentence, come on, but the screen goes black anyways. And doesn't turn back on.

Archie sits in his dark room, motionless, for a long time, his face in his hands until he is dry, until he can’t breath anymore, until there’s nothing left.

......

He brings it to Fp the next day.

He stands behind the sheriff as he watches the video, takes it all in again.

Fp starts crying halfway through it, when Fred tells his younger sleeping form how he loves him.

When the video ends Fp just sits and cries, not loud sobbing or anything, the tears stream quietly down his face until the man buries it in his hands.

Archie puts one soft hand on the older man’s shoulder and Fp rightens himself, breathing in loudly.

“I’m sorry Red.”, he says and that’s about it. Fp looks utterly wrecked, past memories haunting him behind his dark eyes. He looks so small and fragile on that chair, the uniform hanging from his shoulder, his fingers keep twitching for a drink that isn't there, something to soothe the pain.

They go to the cemetery later, and Fp cries some more and this time Archie joins.

“I never stopped loving you Freddie.” Fp whispers, his lips grazing the gravestone. “Not now, not ever I promise.”

Archie hugs him them, broad arms clutching thin shoulders, because it feels right, because they both loved Fred and lost him, because they both know the other’s pain.

And today they’re not alone with it.


End file.
